Chapter 43 Part 1

During the meal, Gu Miaoyan avoided discussing serious matters, and Chi Nuan endured an invisible pressure that made her stomach ache faintly.

After the meal, the table was cleared, and Gu Miaoyan pulled Chi Nuan to sit on the sofa to drink tea and settle her stomach. She called her name in an intimate and familiar way: “Chi Nuan…”

Chi Nuan sat up straight: “Here.”

Gu Miaoyan laughed at her stiffness and patted her knee: “Relax a bit. I’m A-Ning’s sister, not some stranger.”

Her words were true, but Chi Nuan couldn’t help feeling tense. She lowered her eyes and said obediently: “Okay…”

Gu Miaoyan said: “Seeing you like this reminds me of a friend… She was just as quiet and shy as you. Though she moved overseas and we don’t see each other much now, when we chat, we toss aside all the big important matters without exaggeration! My husband often gets jealous and jokes that she and I are the real couple.”

Gu Miaoyan’s smile flowed naturally, impossible to hide: “The friendships from our student days were so pure and warm… right?”

Chi Nuan’s heart skipped a beat, and she forced a smile in response.

“By the way, I went to your school this morning to check on A-Ning and also asked Teacher He about you,” Gu Miaoyan said.

Chi Nuan: “…Me?”

“You wouldn’t believe it. Teacher He was all stiff and formal when talking about A-Ning, but the moment I mentioned you, her expression lit up. She said you were the most obedient and worry-free student among all the ones she’d taught. Chi Nuan, to be honest, I was a bit worried when I met you last night. I was afraid you weren’t a good girl, afraid you’d lead A-Ning down the wrong path… It’s probably a common parent thing? Please don’t take offense, forgive my wild guesses… Anyway, after what Teacher He said today, I feel much more at ease.”

No one wanted their loved ones surrounded by friends of bad character, so Gu Miaoyan’s words and actions were understandable. At the same time, Chi Nuan didn’t doubt that if Gu Miaoyan had learned she was a “bad girl who’d lead Gu Ningzi astray,” she would have advised Gu Ningzi to stay away.

—But what counted as the “wrong path”? Did their relationship qualify?

Chi Nuan wondered if Gu Miaoyan was hinting at something, and her heart grew heavier.

Gu Miaoyan took a sip of tea. The smile faded gradually from her delicate face. She brushed her loose hair behind her ear and looked straight into Chi Nuan’s eyes, saying seriously: “Chi Nuan, you might think it was overstepping for me to ask your teacher about you, a bit disrespectful. But I had my reasons… You might not know this, but A-Ning hasn’t had many friends from childhood to now. Spoon counts as one, but the Spoon family and ours have ties—they’ve played together since birth, so that doesn’t count. You’re the first friend A-Ning has ever wanted to introduce to me.”

Then Gu Miaoyan shared an old story from Gu Ningzi’s childhood.

“That day, Spoon wore a delicate butterfly hair clip to kindergarten. A naughty kid in class hid it while she was napping. When Spoon woke up, she couldn’t find it anywhere and cried her heart out. A-Ning went up to the kid who hid it and asked for it back. The kid denied it and pushed A-Ning, so A-Ning fought him. The teachers finally pulled them apart, and that kid’s nails left three long scratches on A-Ning’s face.”

“It was just a kids’ squabble, and our family didn’t think much of it. But that kid’s parents found out about us from the teachers… The adults’ stress affected the kid, and soon the whole kindergarten’s children—except Spoon—refused to play with A-Ning.”

“Don’t touch her, don’t provoke her, or there’ll be serious consequences! So, just don’t play with her!”

“A-Ning, who used to wait obediently for the nanny to take her to kindergarten, gradually didn’t want to go anymore. It wasn’t until she transferred to an ordinary preschool that things improved a bit… But heartbreakingly, from then on, she’s had major issues with handling relationships…”

Gu Miaoyan’s eyes flashed with deep pain at this point. She paused for a long while before continuing: “Six years ago, when Mom passed away, it hit A-Ning especially hard. She was already quiet, but after that, she became even more withdrawn… At her worst, she even needed medication to cope.”

Chi Nuan listened intently to Gu Miaoyan’s long account and took a moment to process it.

“Dad has high hopes for A-Ning, but because of Mom’s death, A-Ning developed strong resentment toward him. Chi Nuan, I know you lost your parents at a young age, so you understand the value of family more than anyone. A-Ning’s heart is so sensitive—it’s too hard for her to open up! Since she accepts you as a friend, you must hold a special place in her heart. Sister’s begging you: when the chance comes, please help persuade A-Ning not to clash with Dad anymore, okay?”

Gu Miaoyan squeezed Chi Nuan’s hand, her face full of sincerity.

Chi Nuan was moved by the affection in Gu Miaoyan’s words, but facing her earnest gaze while being in a relationship with Gu Ningzi stirred a strong sense of guilt. If their family found out, it would only intensify the conflict between Gu Ningzi and her father, right?

“I… I might not have that much influence… I probably can’t do much,” Chi Nuan said uneasily, fidgeting.

Gu Miaoyan said: “Chi Nuan, I believe in you. Just try, okay?”

Chi Nuan kept her head down, twisting her fingers tightly. Gu Miaoyan’s trust tormented her.

When their chat wrapped up, they left the private room. The waiter waiting outside led them out. Gu Miaoyan said she’d settle the bill, but the waiter eyed them curiously and said: “A guest already paid for your table.”